Half the teams in the SEC are looking for a new starting quarterback in 2014. While schools like Missouri (Maty Mauk), Georgia (Hutson Mason) and South Carolina (Dylan Thompson) have a clear heir apparent, the focus at spring practices in places like Alabama, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and even LSU has been dominated by the quarterback battle.

Even some schools where starting signal-callers are returning -- like Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee -- find themselves conducting open competitions for the job. Only Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Florida are settled on a starter at the position.

As Michael Casagrande reported last week, Blake Sims, Cooper Bateman and Alec Morris are starting to distance themselves in the five-headed competition this spring at Alabama, with further competition looming when Florida State transfer Jacob Coker arrives this fall.

Here are some updates from elsewhere around the conference:

Arkansas: Bret Bielema wasn't bashful about saying he wanted some competition for 2013 starter Brandon Allen, but Allen seems to have responded. According to the Arkansas News, he completed 17 of 20 passes for 247 yards with one touchdown and one interception during an indoor scrimmage on Saturday, solidifying his hold on the job under pressure from A.J. Derby, freshman Rafe Peavey and Allen's younger brother, Austin.

"He looks different physically. He plays different," Bielema told the News of Brandon Allen, who threw for just 1,552 yards with 13 touchdown and 10 interceptions in 2013. "He has got so much composure. What I love there -- not that I wanted to see it -- but when we had a couple of guys jump offsides he really let the huddle have an awareness of what we needed to do and what was expected. You like to have your quarterback step up in that fashion."

That leaves last year's backup, Matt Joeckel, and freshman early enrollee Kyle Allen battling this spring for the job, and Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin told ESPN this month that both are "progressing."

"I think both of them did some good things," he said. "I think they understand the offense a lot more. Obviously, Kyle has to because he just got here. Joeckel, being two years into this (offense), he understands it a little bit more and he should. But we've got to get everybody on the same page."

LSU: Anthony Jennings, who led LSU to season-ending victories over Arkansas and Iowa after Zach Mettenberger was lost with a knee injury, was thought to be the heir apparent entering spring practice, but freshman Brandon Harris outplayed Jennings in the Tigers' spring game and the race reportedly is much closer than anticipated.

Harris completed 11 of 28 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns and led all rushers with 75 yards on six carries, including a 41-yard run. Jennings, meanwhile, was 9-of-17 for 157 yards and a score, while suffering two pick-six interceptions in the first half.

"We're going to need more than one quarterback this season," LSU offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Cam Cameron told the the Shreveport Times afterward, while Miles raved about Harris' running ability.

"One thing about him is when he goes north and south," Miles said of Harris, "he goes north and south quick."

Tennessee: Vols coach Butch Jones told Bleacher Report in a Q&A this month that he's "very, very encouraged" by the progress of his quarterbacks this spring, noting that 2013 starter Justin Worley "has improved greatly" and he's seen progress from contenders Josh Dobbs, Nathan Peterman and Riley Ferguson as well.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel's Evan Woodbery noted that the snaps started tilting toward Worley and Ferguson last weekend.